Pharmacology Then, Pharmacology Now

Over 100 years after Thomas Eakins' Agnew Clinic was painted, a molecular understanding of anesthesia is far from complete. As Rod Eckenhoff discusses, on pages 258-268, anesthesiologists continue to debate the scientific underpinnings of their profession. The article also demonstrates the relevance of historical perspective in approaching modern questions of science. [Agnew Clinic (1889) is reproduced on the cover courtesy of the University of Pennsylvania Art Collection, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.]